Embedded Files
12th - 17th September 2018 to Osaka, Japan
Nurrasimah Binte Abdul Rahmat
Nurrasimah Binte Abdul Rahmat
Advanced Diploma in Perioperative Nursing, School of Health Sciences, Ngee Ann Polytechnic
I have been given a wonderful, once in a lifetime opportunity to lead a group of students with guidance from Ms Sukhdev on an overseas learning programme to Osaka, Japan this September. It was an empowering experience being able to delegate duties to every participating individual on the team and there is much that has been learned even before our embarkation. The team started with 14 strong but was left with 7 of us as the disastrous typhoon Jebi struck Japan. Even with the decline in number, we remained determined to set off in the hopes of discovering and learning new things.
Day 1
Day 1
After settling in for the evening, we had a delightful dinner with Dr Hiroshi Kawasaki and proceeded to take a mini tour of his new cardiovascular clinic. The beautiful setup of the clinic was aimed at making the patient feel comfortable throughout their stay in the clinic. Post-procedure patients are made to recover in a recliner sofa with a gorgeous view of Osaka skyline from the clear glass window. It is admirable how the Japanese are keen to detail, taking into consideration the comfort of every patient throughout their treatment.
View of Osaka skyline from the Clinic.
Briefing and sharing on Healthcare in Japan on Day 2
Day 2
Day 2
Our day started with a morning briefing by Dr Kawasaki about the different institutions and plans for the next 2 days. This also included the overall discussion about Japan’s healthcare system. He described the financial aspects of the system and how it benefits the citizens and also the healthcare institutions, government funding based on financial status. It differs from the healthcare system in Singapore to a degree and we can see how it will impact the country in years to come. It was a helpful insight to their healthcare system to understand how things work.
First stop early in the day was to Mulberry Centre. My personal impression of a nursing home would generally be somewhat a place where most elderly patients receive their end of life care. I was delighted to find out that nursing homes in Japan does not function this way. My first surprise was: There are no nurses in the nursing homes! So how did they function? Apparently, the staff are trained to render assistance to the elderly for their activities of daily living (ADL). Medications are pre-packed sachets and divided into daily doses prescribed by a hospital and sent to the centre for each individual patient. These are then served by the non-medically trained staff – however, they are trained to identify adverse effects and to call for medical help when this happens. All of the nursing home tenants are allocated with their own room which contains their personal belongings. These rooms included a closet, TV system, cooking stove and wash basin – its practical and simple, yet let the tenants have their own sense of privacy. During midday, another group of elderly arrive to participate in the activities to keep them engaged. Simple exercise, sing along, food preparation session was fun to participate in with the elderly. Despite the challenge in language barrier, we made some gestures work in our favour by means of communication. We said our goodbyes to the residents and staffs and headed to our next destination.
Mimihara General Hospital was our next stop for the day. This private hospital was a like a fresh breeze compared to all the hospitals I have been to from the moment I step foot into the building – tasteful paintings and decors every step of the way. From the stairs to the walls and doors, it was a buffet for the eyes. They put in so much thought into the hospital’s outlooks to match the high standards of care. We were given a tour to their ICU, TSSU and OT – I was generally impressed with the hospital layout and professionalism that radiated from their healthcare staff.
Mimihara General Hospital
Mimihara General Hospital
The day ended with a wonderful dinner session hosted by Dr Kawasaki with the representatives from the two institutions we visited earlier. We had a fun time mingling with them – communication made easy with the Google Translate app. I discovered another side of Japanese people where they can be comical, loud and friendly as opposed to the belief that they are always formal, polite and conforming. It was a very good experience getting to know them a better and interacting with them in a social environment.
Day 3
Day 3
We visited Ishikiri Seiki Hospital in the first half of the day where we toured to their ICU, TSSU and OT. This time round, we were required to change into the scrub suit to take a better look into their operating theatres. Compared to the OTs in a typical restructured hospital in Singapore, the perioperative nurses in Japanese hospitals are not specialised in a single discipline. They are experienced in scrubbing and circulating for any and all cases competently– which is pretty impressive! Their OT layouts were slightly different from SGH, as their scrub sinks were places outside the main corridor of the theatre itself and that had automatic sterile towels dispensing machines.
Our final stop was Kansai Medical University Hospital – the biggest institution throughout our visit. Needless to say, it was massive, and we were welcomed by a group of nurses which includes their Deputy Director of Nursing and Nursing heads. We had a short briefing from each department representatives which covered their focus and workflow. Unlike in Singapore, their ICU nurses are required to don the splash-proof eyewear and surgical caps. Staff in the hospital have their own canteen – I like this concept as with the limited time nurses have with our breaks, we will not need to compete with patients or visitors in queue to get our meal during peak timings. With 19 operating theatres are huge and they only have slightly over 60 perioperative nurses. Each nurse goes through three years of training and from their fourth year onwards, they take up leadership roles. There will only be two Perioperative nurses deployed per theatre and in case of emergencies, they may be deployed to the emergency department to assist. Each theatre is huge and every possible equipment is stored in the theatre itself. Perioperative nurses and surgeons order instruments needed for the next day list to prevent shortfalls. The TSSU has an impressive built-in storage system too! The hospital has an emergency response team since it is the appointed institution for receiving these cases.
Google Sites
Report abuse